The illustrative embodiments described in the present application are useful in systems including those for document modification and workflow and more particularly are useful in systems including those for collaborative annotation of documents.
Documents are often created by groups of people that collaborate through iterations of additions, changes and suggestions. Team collaboration is often used when creating or maintaining documents. A principal author may create an original document. Similarly, a principal author may create an initial draft of a document. The principal author typically uses a processing system such as a personal computer with document creation software installed. Once created, the document may be circulated to several team members for annotation. Typically, hardcopy paper printouts are circulated to the team members. The team members then each mark the document as needed and forward the annotations to the principal author or another designated person so that the updates and comments may be processed.
The processing system typically includes a personal computer such as an INTEL PENTIUM® based personal computer using the MICROSOFT WINDOWS XP® Operating system. A physical hardcopy printout of the electronic master version of the document may be created using a laser or inkjet printer. Computer systems are typically used to edit and publish each revision of the document. The documents are often word processor data files used with a word processor and the computer systems typically include word processing programs such as MICROSOFT® WORD® (hereinafter “Word”) manufactured by Microsoft Corporation of One Microsoft Way, Redmond, Wash. However, the documents may also include, but are not limited to, business reports, contracts, legal briefs, articles, books, speeches, reports, slide show presentations, financial reports, technical drawings, sales, marketing and advertising materials.
Accordingly, other programs such as VISIO® and POWER-POINT® available from MICROSOFT® may be used. Many additional programs and systems may be used including Computer Aided Design (CAD) systems.
In a traditional document collaboration effort, a principal author or editor creates an original document draft. The copies of the draft are circulated to the group and a member of the group is assigned the task of updating the draft to a new version. The group members typically provide change suggestions or comments by annotating the paper copy and returning it to the editor. The task of updating is usually performed by the principle author or editor and may include adding information, deleting information and/or changing information. There may be many hardcopy comment versions to reconcile and the process may be cumbersome. Furthermore, two or more of the suggestions may present a conflict and the member updating the draft may decide to enter the competing versions as alternatives or resolve the conflict. The process may be iterative as the editor circulates subsequent drafts for comment until the document is finalized.
The draft versions are typically hand-delivered or circulated by mail. More recently, document teams have begun using word-processing systems such as WORD that include some collaborations features. For example, draft versions of WORD documents may be distributed electronically. The team members may enter suggested changes and comments using the Track Changes feature of WORD. The editor then decides which changes to accept. The editing/annotation process may be accomplished in a round-robin fashion, with one single electronic copy circulated to each team member in a serial fashion. Such a system requires that the team members utilize a computer equipped with WORD and may also require that only one team member at a time manually check-out the document to enter suggestions.
Such prior art annotation methods are cumbersome, time-consuming and error-prone when the number of recipients is more than a very small number.